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Sunday, July 26, 2015

Dental health is as important for your pet as it
is for you. Chronic dental disease is the
number one cause of heart disease in older pets. This is one area that most pet owners neglect.

The idea of brushing your dog's or cat's teeth is
not very appealing. However, it is the
most effective way to prevent dental disease in your pet. There are two main ways to brush your pet's
teeth. The first, do it the same way you
brush yours, with a toothbrush. There
are a few dogs that will allow this, but most will fight pretty hard when you
stick a toothbrush in their mouth. The
usual result is that you end up jabbing your dog in the gums with the end of
the toothbrush, and that is the last time you are allowed to do that!

The next alternative for brushing your pet's
teeth is to use a finger brush. This is
a little toothbrush that fits on the end of your finger. It allows you to have a little more control
and will help avoid injury to your pet. This
is the safer method for your dog, but not very pleasant for you.

The good news is that although brushing your pet’s
teeth is the best way to ensure dental health, it is not the only option. One good preventive measure is to make sure you
feed your pet kibble and not canned food. The kibble will naturally keep tartar from
building up on your pet's teeth. Feeding
your pet canned food is one of the worst things you can do for dental health.

Another important thing you can do for your pet's
teeth is to have them cleaned on a regular basis. For most dogs, that means having a dental
cleaning every three years. There are
some breeds of dogs, such as Greyhounds, that need dental cleanings on a more
frequent basis. The best way to know if
your dog needs his teeth cleaned is to lift up his lips and take a look at the
teeth. If they have tartar build up,
then they need a cleaning.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

In the same way that obesity has become a problem
for people, it has also become a problem for our pets. Several health issues can arise as a result
of obesity. Many of these health
concerns are the same ones that obese people face.

For cats, the major health problem that can arise
as a result of obesity is diabetes. Overweight
cats are at a significantly higher risk for diabetes than cats who are at a
healthy weight (See #31 Diabetes Mellitus in Cats).

For dogs, the main health concerns associated
with obesity are heart failure and arthritis.
Just like in people, when a dog is carrying around more weight than he
is meant to carry, his heart has to work overtime. When the heart has to work extra hard, it
wears out before it would have otherwise.
In addition, the extra weight puts too much pressure on the dog's joints
causing extra wear and tear that leads to arthritis.

The number one contributor to pet obesity:
Feeding your pet people food! I hear all
the time, "But he really likes it and will throw a fit if I don't give it
to him." First of all, if you don't
start, then you don't have to stop. Secondly,
just like a child will choose donuts over green beans, your pet will choose
people food over pet food. There are
some perfectly acceptable pet treats that your pet will appreciate that are
much healthier than people food. Your
pet will adapt to the change, just be consistent.

The next question is, "How do I know if my
pet is obese?"

There is a simple illustration: First, make a fist. If your pet’s ribs look like your knuckles
when you make a fist, then it is too thin. Second, turn your palm face up with your
fingers straight out. If your pet’s ribs
look like the pads over your knuckles on your palm, then he is too fat. Finally, turn your palm face down with your
fingers straight out. If your pet’s ribs
look like your knuckles, then he is the ideal body weight. In other words, you want to be able to easily
feel his ribs when you rub your hands over them, but you don't want to see his
ribs.

Finally, "What do I do if my dog is
obese?"

First, stop feeding him people food. Second, cut back on the fatty treats. By that, I mean things like rawhides and pig's
ears. There are some very good low fat
treats that you can use. Alternatively, one
of the easiest things to do is give him a piece of his kibble (dry food). Since it is being given outside of his normal
feeding time, he will think of it as a special treat. Also, if you are feeding canned food, either
stop all together, or cut it back significantly. Canned pet foods are much higher in fat than
dry kibble. Additionally, canned food is
a major contributor to dental disease. Finally,
just like people, pets need to exercise. So, get him moving. This will not only help him slim down, it will
also improve the health of his joints.

Again, a pet at a healthy weight will live
significantly longer than an obese pet. I don't know about you, but I want my
pets around for as long as I can have them!

Sunday, June 28, 2015

There are a several
different underlying causes of hair loss in puppies. I am only going to address a few of them.

Patchy
hair loss with associated pruritus (itchiness): The most common cause for patchy hair loss is
fleas. However, it can also be caused by
the Sarcoptes mites. This is often
referred to as “Sarcoptic Mange.”
Infestation with Sarcoptes mites causes severe pruritus. The puppies will scratch constantly. Because of the constant scratching, and the
damage that it does, the puppies often develop a bacterial skin infection. These puppies will have red, crusty skin
lesions in addition to the hair loss.
Sarcoptes mites live on the skin, and treatment is usually topical. However, due to the skin infection, the
puppies may also need to take antibiotics.
Sarcoptes mites easily transfer to other pets and can cause itchiness in
people as well. They don’t infest
humans, meaning they don’t set up permanent residence on our skin. However, they will bite us if given the
chance.

Patchy
hair loss without pruritus:
There are two common causes for these symptoms in puppies. The first is ringworm (See #13 Ringworm for
details). The second common cause is
another mite called Demodex, often referred to as “Demodectic Mange.” These mites live in the skin. They do not typically cause pruritus, so the
puppies don’t usually scratch. The
treatment for demodectic mange is oral and usually requires a long treatment
therapy.

Demodectic mange is not
contagious to other pets or people. The
puppies actually obtain the mite from their mother, during nursing. In addition, there is a genetic component
that determines whether or not the animal will have any symptoms associated
with the infestation.

In conclusion, several underlying factors cause puppy
hair loss. Therefore, it is important to
consult your veterinarian for a specific diagnosis and treatment options.

Friday, June 26, 2015

BOOK DESCRIPTION:This book is the follow up to "Scarred Hearts"Rachel Somerfield has spent most of her life in Whitman’s Home for Orphaned Girls in New York City. As she approaches her eighteenth birthday, her future looks very bleak. Everything changes the day she runs into Mathew Compton, a dashing young man, who sweeps her off her feet and offers her a chance at happiness. However, things don’t turn out as Rachel hopes, and she finds herself accepting a teaching position in Sand Hill, a small western town. She arrives in Sand Hill penniless, scared, and alone.

Sheriff Chance Scott has been raising his son, John, alone since his wife died giving him birth. He loved his wife very much, and has given up on the idea of ever finding that kind of love again. He’s resigned to raising his son on his own. When the new schoolteacher arrives, he finds out that she’s in desperate need of his help. Is life offering him a second chance at love? Is it worth risking another broken heart to find out?
click image to buy now!

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Routine puppy vaccinations against Parvovirus and
Distemper virus are essential to ensuring your puppy’s health. Puppies are initially protected against these
viruses through the antibodies they received from their mother. However, as the mother’s antibodies begin to
fade, puppies become susceptible to infection.
There is a window of susceptibility during which time the mother's
antibodies are no longer effective, but they are still too high to allow your
puppy to develop his own protection. For
most puppies, this window is open between 8-12 weeks of age. Therefore, it is
extremely important to keep your puppy away from environments where he could
possibly be exposed to the virus until he has received a full round of
vaccines.

Most veterinarians recommend your puppy receives
his first set of vaccines at approximately 6-8 weeks of age. Then he should receive a booster every 3-4
weeks until he reaches 16 weeks of age.
This will ensure he receives the full round of vaccines and has
developed his own protection by time his mother's antibodies are no longer
effective

Parvovirus and Distemper virus are both found
throughout the environment and can survive for long periods of time in the
soil. It is imperative that you keep
young unvaccinated puppies away from any yards where there was a known positive
puppy for at least one year.

Both of these viruses cause severe intestinal
distress. Basically, they cause the
intestines to shed their lining. The
intestinal lining consists of the cells that absorb water and nutrients out of
the intestines. Therefore, the puppy
ends up losing a lot of water (i.e. diarrhea) and losing a lot of weight due to
the inability to absorb nutrients. The shedding
of the intestinal lining is also very painful.
Many puppies, especially small breeds, do not survive this loss of water
and nutrients.

If you choose not to vaccinate your puppy and
they survive puppyhood, their odds of contracting the viruses do decrease
significantly. However, unvaccinated
adult dogs can still become infected with both Parvovirus and Distemper virus.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Housebreaking your puppy can be a frustrating
event. However, remembering a few simple
rules could save you and your puppy some heartache.

First, there are specific times when your puppy
will need to eliminate. These are:

1) Immediately after waking

2) Approximately five minutes after eating

3) Immediately after playing

Additionally, puppies under six months of age
need to eliminate approximately every four hours.

You can use this knowledge to your advantage. If you know that these events will trigger
your puppy’s need to eliminate, then you can time when to take your puppy outside. Once he is outside, tell him what you want him
to do. For instance, use a phrase like
"Go potty." Don't play with
the puppy until he potties. Then, once
he is successful, give him lavish attention and praise. Eventually, he will learn to go on demand.

Another thing that you can do to greatly decrease
the amount of time it takes to potty train your puppy is a method called
"crate training." It is a simple
concept that really works. The idea is
that you have a crate your puppy considers his den. The crate should be big enough for the puppy
to lie in comfortably, but not so big that he can use one end of it for a
bathroom. Dogs are pretty clean animals and
don't like to eliminate where they sleep. They are also den animals and feel safe and
comfortable sleeping in a small dark place.

Here is how “crate training” works: The puppy should be inside the crate whenever
you are not giving him direct attention. So, let's start at night. You place the puppy in the crate. You will need to give him a potty break in the
middle of the night. Take the puppy
directly outside and give him the command to "Go Potty". Once he obeys, give him praise and attention. Remember, do not play with him until after he
potties. Then place him back into the
crate. Repeat this process first thing
in the morning. He may only urinate at
this time. Feed him and then take him
back outside. Most puppies will need to
defecate about five minutes after eating. Then place him back into the crate. He needs to stay in the crate until you are
ready to give him attention again. Make
sure to take him directly outside, give him the command, and wait until he
potties before playing with him.

Remember he will need to go outside approximately
every four hours. It usually only takes
a few days until your puppy will catch on to this routine. Just like kids, puppies feel most comfortable
and confident when they have a routine. They
will be much better behaved in the long run. So, with “crate training” you get two
benefits, a housebroken puppy and a puppy that doesn't have separation anxiety.

If you don't want your puppy to be in a crate
while you are home, then you can place him on a leash. That way he stays within your line of vision. If you see him sniffing the ground and
circling, then he is about to go and you need to get him outside immediately. This method doesn't work as quickly as crate
training, because of the increased likelihood of having accidents. However, it can also be effective.

“Crate training” is also a great method to use if
you are housebreaking an older dog. In
my experience, this method can work within a few days. Many times, the dog will prefer to spend their
time in the crate, even if you leave the door open.

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

BOOK DESCRIPTION:Rachel Somerfield has spent most of her life in Whitman’s Home for Orphaned Girls in New York City. As she approaches her eighteenth birthday, her future looks very bleak. Everything changes the day she runs into Mathew Compton, a dashing young man, who sweeps her off her feet and offers her a chance at happiness. However, things don’t turn out as Rachel hopes, and she finds herself accepting a teaching position in Sand Hill, a small western town. She arrives in Sand Hill penniless, scared, and alone.

Sheriff Chance Scott has been raising his son, John, alone since his wife died giving him birth. He loved his wife very much, and has given up on the idea of ever finding that kind of love again. He’s resigned to raising his son on his own. When the new schoolteacher arrives, he finds out that she’s in desperate need of his help. Is life offering him a second chance at love? Is it worth risking another broken heart to find out?
click image to buy now!

FTC disclaimer: All books reviewed by Tinerbooks have been given to us free of charge by the publisher/author for thepurpose of review. We do not receive compensation for the review. All reviews contain our honest opinions. We doparticipate in the Amazon Affiliate program. Therefore, if a book is purchased through the link on our site, we willreceive a small referral fee from Amazon.